


Remember Me This Way

by halfwit



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Amnesia, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hospitals, Hurt Dean, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, Multi, Pining Castiel, Protective Castiel, Reverse Amnesia, Shipper Sam, Supportive Castiel, all's well that ends well, hit and run, is that even a thing?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-03
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-07 09:57:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4259025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfwit/pseuds/halfwit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Castiel have been friends forever. Castiel has been in love with the green-eyed man for about that same length of time. When a walk home leads to an injury for Dean, he suddenly remembers his relationship with Castiel differently than it is. Can Castiel help him regain his true memories? More to the point...will Castiel want Dean to recover his true memories when this version of Dean is giving him his very heart's desire, even if it might not be truly real. A story of pining, gaining love, and potentially having to lose that love all over again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know where this came from. I do know that I have the whole thing plotted out and it probably won't be super long and I will post a chapter a night until it is done.

“C’mon, Dean quit fooling around,” Castiel Novak griped to his best friend.

“Nope,” the young Winchester said, green eyes glinting mischievously as he drummed his fingers against the strap of his backpack and the pair walked home from school. “I’m not going to stop until you tell me who Meg thinks you have a massive crush on.”

Castiel felt his face turn hot as the blood rushed to the surface, coloring his features in what he could only imagine was an unattractively ruddy blush. He was going to kill Meg the next time he saw her – that was the last time he trusted that she was able to keep a secret.

“I was just messing around with her,” Castiel lied through his teeth, hoping beyond hope that Dean would buy the tale. “She seemed so convinced that I liked someone, I just got tired of having her badger me, and so I made something up.”

“Uh-huh,” Dean said, lips quirking up in a smirk, conveying the taller teen’s disbelief. “You know you’re a shitty liar, Cas. You always shift your eyes all around when you tell tales, have since we were little.”

The darker-haired teen turned away from his friend and tried to hurry away. He didn’t want Dean to question him too closely. Dean was right, Castiel _was_ a terrible liar, especially when it came to telling fibs to Dean. In this instance, however, he thought that telling a lie was the better of his two options. If he told Dean the truth, what he really told Meg, the truth had the potential to destroy his friendship with Dean, which is something he treasured more than anything.

“So, are we going to go see _Ant-Man_ next weekend?” Castiel tried, hoping he could divert his friend’s attention. Sadly, Dean was like a dog with a bone. This was the first time Dean had heard about Castiel being interested in anyone and he wanted to know who it was. And, sure, it hurt Dean that Castiel confessed his crush to Meg – Meg of all people! – instead of him, but really Dean just wanted to know who the lucky guy was.

“Not letting you get outta this one, Novak,” Dean said, gently digging his elbow into Castiel’s side. “I just wanna make sure this guy is good enough for you, and then I can help you plot a way to get into his pants.”

Castiel didn’t think his face could get any redder, but he was pretty sure he found another few colors that had him resembling a mottled tomato. He didn’t know what was worse…giving up the rouse and confessing to Dean that the Winchester was the true object of his affection, or trying to come up with an even more outlandish story and hope he could somehow pull it off, even though he was a terrible liar.

He was so lost that he didn’t realize he was walking further into the middle of the road, trying unconsciously to put some distance between himself and Dean while he gathered his thoughts.

“Cas! Look out!” Dean yelled, as Castiel turned around to see a sleek red sports car racing down the neighborhood street.

The young teen suddenly realized how the expression “deer in the headlights” came into being. He knew he should move, but he found himself frozen in place, even as the car horn blared and brakes squealed.

Bracing himself for the seemingly inevitable impact, Castiel felt himself roughly pulled backwards as a strong grip tugged on the wide strap of his messenger bag. He fell backward with a soft “oof” of pain as the car swerved around his outstretched legs and roared off, masculine voice yelling “Watch it, asshole,” as he sped away.

“I’m alive!” were the first coherent thoughts Castiel could muster, nanoseconds after the disaster was averted. This thought was followed very closely by “Why am I alive? And what am I laying on?”

Turning gently onto his side, Castiel pushed himself up on one arm and noticed that he was sprawled out back to chest with Dean. Dean who was currently unconscious. Blinking to clear his own cobwebs from the accident, Castiel moved himself carefully away from his friend and tried to assess the situation. The young Novak had taken some basic first aid classes and was certified in CPR for his summer job as a lifeguard, but at the moment, he was trying to recall the first thing about responding to an accident.

“ _Call for help, genius_ ,” his brain helpfully, if somewhat snarkily, provided.

Fumbling for his phone, Castiel used clumsy fingers to dial 911.

“ _911 dispatch, what is your emergency?”_ a polite female voice answered the line.

“Yes, my name is Castiel Novak, my friend and I were walking home and he pulled me away from a car and fell and I think he hit his head and he isn’t awake and the car drove away and I think he may be hurt badly,” the teen blurted out in a rush.

“Okay, Castiel, right?” the woman asked.

“Y-yes,” came the reply as the teen tried to stem the tears that threatened to fall.

“I need you to stay calm, you can’t do anything for your friend if you give yourself a panic attack, right?” the operator asked, she was calm and professional, but there was an undercurrent of sympathy in her tone.

“Y-yes,” Castiel stammered out again. He could do this. He wasn’t going to let his best friend and secret love of his life die or get run over by another car because he was too freaked out.

“Okay, that’s really good, sweetie,” the operator continued. “My name is Donna and I’m going to make sure you and your friend are taken care of, but you need to calm down and help me out. Can you do that?”

“Yes,” Castiel replied for the third time, much more in control of himself. He wasn’t sure if he was getting over his shock or getting ready to go into shock, but for the moment, he was able to focus; the operator’s slightly Midwestern accent having a calming impact on his frayed nerves.

“Super,” Donna replied. “Now, you said you and your friend were walking. Can you tell me where you are right now?”

Castiel wanted to mentally slap himself. How could he have forgotten the most important piece of information?

“We are on Pierce Street near the intersection with 8th in Sioux Falls,” Castiel explained.

“Okay, that’s really good,” Donna said. “I’m gonna have an ambulance come out and getcha. They shouldn’t be too long, Mercy Medical Center is pretty close by.”

Castiel nodded his head in assent, forgetting that Donna couldn’t see him.

“Castiel? Castiel?” he heard the operator’s voice piercing his thoughts. He still had her on the line.

“I’m here,” he replied. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay, sweetie,” she replied, kindly. “I don’t want’cha to move your friend, but are you able to tell me if he is breathing okay?”

Was Dean breathing? Castiel almost was afraid to know, but suddenly needed the reassurance. He put his finger underneath Dean’s nostrils and held his own breath until he felt the gentle puff of warm air brush against his index finger. Castiel felt his own breath exhaled from his body in relief.

“Yes,” Castiel reported to the disembodied voice on the phone. “He’s breathing.”

“Wonderful,” Donna replied, sounding as though that was the best news she’d heard all day.

Castiel knelt down next to Dean again and started to card his fingers through the other teen’s spiky honey brown hair. If Dean woke up, Castiel would just blame his actions on nerves, but it was soothing to him to have some contact with Dean – he just hoped the other teen would be able to recognize the touch and know he wasn’t alone.

“I’m gonna stay on the line with you until the ambulance gets there. Why don’t’cha tell me a little more about what happened? How old all y’all?”

“We’re both seventeen,” Castiel replied, his fingers continuing their roaming through Dean’s hair, the repetitive motion soothing to the blue-eyed Novak’s frayed nerves. “We were walking home from school. Dean, he was teasing me about something I said to another friend and I wasn’t paying attention and this car just came outta nowhere and I guess Dean pulled me outta the way and we both toppled backward and I guess he cracked his head on the curb.”

Castiel paused unsteadily, tears now steadily dripping salty tracks down his cheeks and dotting his tongue.

“It’s my fault,” he practically whispered, not expecting anyone to hear him, but of course, Donna did.

“Don’t’cha say that,” Donna admonished him gently. “I’m sure your friend doesn’t blame you any. He did a good deed to save you like that. That’s a true friend you’ve got there, and a true friend doesn’t begrudge the other anything, not even silly mistakes.”

“Yeah,” Castiel huffed out a humorless chuckle, “but most silly mistakes don’t seriously injure a true friend.”

“The ambulance is gonna be there in no time,” Donna consoled, hearing the rising emotion in the young man’s tone and trying to keep him in the moment. “Now, what can ya tell me about the car that almost hit you?”

Castiel closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath to focus on what Donna was asking him. He hoped that he got a chance to meet her one day to thank her for keeping him sane during this time.

“I didn’t see much,” Castiel said, somewhat ashamed to admit that fact. “It was a red sports car, pretty flashy. I’m sure Dean, my friend, he would probably know more what kind it was – he has a real knack with cars, fixes them up and everything. He always says it’s good to have a practical skill to fall back on, just in case he doesn’t make it in his dream to be a mechanical engineer.”

“Wow! Engineer,” Donna enthused. “That’s pretty awesome. You boys graduating this year?”

“Nah, we’re both juniors,” Castiel replied, shifting the phone against his ear, and maneuvering his legs so he could sit more comfortably next to his still unconscious friend. “We’ll graduate next year.”

The teen lost track of how much time passed, it could have been minutes or it could have been hours, all he focused on was providing whatever tactile comfort he could to his best friend and trying to answer all of Operator Donna’s questions. His world was so reduced to these two areas that when the ambulance first pulled up in front of him, he didn’t register it. Not until a strange, burly man was leaning over Dean and trying to get Castiel’s attention did everything register.

“Donna, the ambulance is here now,” Castiel reported.

“That’s great, Castiel,” the operator replied with genuine affection in her voice. “I’m sure they’ll take real good care of you and your friend.”

Castiel blushed at the slight emphasis she placed on the word “friend,” although maybe the teen was too wrapped up in his own thoughts he just imagined there was a difference.

“Thank you so much for everything,” he said sincerely. “You really helped me out in a bad time.”

“No problems, sweetie, just doing my job,” came the reply.

The call disconnected and Castiel focused on the flurry of activity that was going on around him. He watched as the paramedics brought a stretcher from the back of the vehicle and were gathering around Dean to make an assessment.

While some of the team started tending to Dean, another paramedic approached Castiel and became to assess him and his injuries.

As Castiel was explaining what had happened, he heard a slight groan emanate from where Dean was still laying on the ground.

“Dean!” the other boy shouted and dodged around the paramedics to get to his friend.

“C-Cas?” Dean slurred, green eyes glassy and looking as though there were unable to focus immediately as he wanted.

“I’m here, Dean,” Castiel assured his friend, kneeling down beside the other’s supine form and grabbing his hand and holding on tightly. “I’m right here.”

“You ‘k?” the other murmured.

Castiel felt an almost hysterical chuckle bubble up from his gut. How very Dean!

“You’re lying on the ground injured from saving my sorry ass and you are asking how I am? Glad to know the fall didn’t knock any sense into that thick skull of yours,” Castiel quipped, feeling somewhat lighter than he had just moments ago. His Dean was still there and just as concerned about others as always.

“’S why you love me,” Dean said with a dopey grin on his face, eyes sliding shut again.

“L-l-love you,” Castiel choked out. “Dean?”

“What?” Dean replied, trying again to focus dulled eyes onto the other man’s face. “You mean you don’t love me? Why are we together if you don’t love me?”

Castiel looked down at his friend, trying to make sense of what was happening. The paramedics were trying to get Dean’s vitals and not intrude on the private moment, but they were getting ready to move Dean.

“Dean you’re my best friend, of course I love you,” Castiel demurred, hoping he could make some sense out of what the Winchester was talking about.

“Best friend?” Dean huffed, irritation lacing his tone. “That’s what you’re gonna call me? You don’t want to admit in front of these people that I’m your boyfriend? Are you embarrassed to be with me?”

_Boyfriend?_ Dean thought they were dating. How did this even make sense?

Suddenly everything was too much – the stress of Dean joking with him, the near collision with the car, waiting with an unconscious Dean for help to arrive, and now this?

Somewhere Castiel heard his name being called, but he couldn’t see who was saying it. All he saw was black as his vision faded away and he gave in to his own dark release.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Dean make it to the hospital. Cas is given a clean bill of health and we get a little insight as to what may be wrong with Dean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not a medical professional. I do not make any claims that the medical statements made in this chapter are accurate, I am using them merely as literary devices to fit my own nefarious needs (cue evil laugh).

Castiel regained consciousness not long after they arrived at the hospital. From there everything happened as though in a dream. In fact, many times over the next twenty-four hours, the teen found himself wondering if he had been saved from being hit by the car. Maybe Dean hadn’t pulled him out of the way – sometimes that was the only way Castiel could make sense of what was going on. He couldn’t decide if he was comfortable in this exquisitely nuanced dream or trapped in a torturous nightmare. Either way, he couldn’t quite trust what was in front of him.

Not long after arriving at the hospital, both teenagers were besieged by their worried parents. John and Mary Winchester were taken into a consultation with a neurosurgeon to explain what could be happening with Dean’s apparent memory loss. Castiel was almost crushed in a hug by his mother who swore she was never letting him walk home from school again and promised to buy him a car as soon as she could. The day kept getting weirder.

What no one found that strange was Dean’s sudden affection toward his best friend. In fact, it only seemed to be Castiel who was uncomfortable with this turn of events.

He found himself hiding in the cafeteria out of the way of prying eyes. He had been officially discharged about a half hour prior, but he wanted to make sure he spoke with the Winchesters before leaving. He wanted to know what was wrong with Dean.

“You doing okay?” a thin, high-pitched voice cuts through Castiel’s reverie.

The raven-haired teen looks up, startled, into the concerned hazel eyes of Sam Winchester, Dean’s fourteen-year-old brother.

“Hello Sam,” Castiel returns and motions for the younger boy to have a seat. “Everything is a little overwhelming.”

Sam nods wisely, making him look far older than his years, as though he intuited more into Castiel’s simple words.

“It’s different to see Dean like this,” Sam admits, running his hands through his already messy shoulder-length hair. “He’s much more affectionate and open with what he is saying. But just because he’s actually saying the words, doesn’t mean they haven’t always been true.”

Castiel narrows his eyes, trying to interpret the other’s cryptic words.

“C’mon Cas,” Sam says with a tinge of exasperation, practically rolling his eyes heavenward. “I might be young, but I’m not stupid. I know how you feel about Dean and how he feels about you.”

The older boy can feel the blood rush from his face: He didn’t realize his feelings for Dean had been quite that obvious. He wondered if he could backpedal out of this. “Sam, I don’t know…”

“Stop it, Cas,” Sam says, voice threaded with an edge of steel, sounding so much like his older brother in that moment that Castiel does a double take. “You can try to lie to everyone else. You can pretend that you aren’t head over heels for my big brother, but I see the way you look at him when you think no one is looking. I can practically see the hearts in your eyes.”

“Sam, please,” Castiel hears the thread of a plea in his own voice, and almost winces at the sound.

“What you don’t see is that he feels the same for you.”

“No, that’s not possible,” Castiel responds shaking his head, hands subtly moving to cover his ears as though he doesn’t want to hear this…not now. “Dean is my friend, he only thinks of me as a friend.”

The younger boy looks almost pitying at Castiel and shakes his head in disbelief.

“For two smart guys, y’all at both pretty stupid sometimes,” Sam says, reaching over to steal one of the potato chips out of the bag sitting in front of Castiel. “I’m not happy my brother got hurt, but if it gets your two to admit your pathetic unrequited love to one another, then this may have a silver lining.”

Shaking his head in disbelief, the older Novak pushes his hands through his already disheveled hair and then scrubs them down his face, fatigue settling over him in a wave. It has been a long afternoon.

“Sam, I don’t think you would understand,” he begins.

“Then make me understand,” Sam practically snarls, every bit as protective over his older brother as Dean is toward him. “Use small words if you need to.”

Blue eyes sparked with anger. “You wanna know? You really want to understand,” Castiel growls, emotions running hot and too close to the surface to properly modulate. “I feel like shit, and I feel like I’m soaring in the clouds. Dean acting like this? Wanting to hold my hand and kiss me and be affectionate toward me? It is everything I have ever wanted since I was thirteen years old. Everything!

“I want to cling to this so tight and never let it go; but, at the same time it is tearing me apart and I can’t stand to be in the same room with him. I want this so much to be real and it’s not. It is just a parody, a farce. It is something that can be ripped away from me at a moment’s notice. And, if I give in; if I allow myself to believe that this is real that this is really the way he is going to be and how he is going to remember us together and then it changes what am I gonna do then? Am I gonna go back to the way things were, after I’ve known what it’s like to have more? Will Dean be able to go back to friendship with me, or will I lose even the comfort of having him in my life in that capacity? It’s too big of a risk, Sam. I don’t know if I can risk it all.”

The older boy was panting and his face wet with his tears at the end; his chest rising and falling rapidly. Castiel closed his eyes and tried to bring himself back into control. He couldn’t believe that he had just allowed himself to go off at Sam like that. He loved the kid as a brother and yet he just dumped all his own crap on this boy’s narrow shoulders.

Once Castiel felt more like himself, he looked up to take in Sam’s face. The younger teen looked shocked, but there were other emotions warring in his expressive eyes – anger, hurt, sadness, and maybe a hint of pity. Sam opened his mouth to start to respond to Castiel when a new voice boomed across the cafeteria.

“Castiel? Sam?” John Winchester called out, walking briskly over to the pair. “We were wondering where you boys got off to? Everything okay?”

“Yes, Mr. Winchester,” Castiel replied, unable to meet the other man’s gaze. He wasn’t sure what Dean’s ex-Marine father would think of his son being in a relationship – even a head-injury induced relationship – with another boy. “We’re fine. Sam was just keeping me company.”

John’s eyes shrewdly took in the situation and looking at the stormy countenance on his son’s face and the drawn, pinched look on Castiel’s, the older man knew there was more to the story; but, he was willing to let it go for now.

“Well we are getting ready to get outta here,” John said. “They’re gonna keep Dean overnight for some observation, but they think he will be released sometime tomorrow.”

“Is he okay?” the words tumbled out of Castiel’s mouth, drenched in concern for his friend.

John sat down at the end of the table, putting himself between the two boys. He wished for a drink right about then: Getting the phone call that his oldest son had been injured was tough, and hearing the varying opinions of the doctors was nerve wracking at best. At the moment, he wished Mary had been the one to find the boys, she always was better at this kind of stuff than he was, but he didn’t want to wait, he wanted to be honest and tell the teens what they knew.

“That’s not an easy answer, Cas,” John said, pinching the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb in his fatigue.

“What do you mean? He has to be okay if they are going to send him home, right Dad?” Sam asked, sounding so much younger and more vulnerable than he had a few moments earlier when confronting Castiel.

“We spoke to the head neurosurgeon, Dr. Harvelle,” John explained, trying to pick his words carefully so as not to further alarm the pair in front of him. “She believes that Dean is experiencing a variation of a condition known as post-concussion syndrome.”

“What does that mean?” Sam and Castiel asked, almost simultaneously.

“It’s hard to say,” John continued, knowing he sounded as though he was evading the question. “The doctor said that the symptoms can vary from person to person and she’s never seen it manifest in exactly the same way that she has in Dean.”

“Then how can she know it is this post-concussion syndrome?” Castiel interrupted. “Can we talk to someone else, get another opinion? Someone who might actually know what the hell they are talking about?”

John raised his eyebrow at his eldest’s best friend: He had always known Castiel to be a mild mannered young man, to see this defiance and spark piqued his curiosity. Maybe Mary was right…maybe Dean’s sudden assertion that he and Castiel were dating had a foundation in reality.

“Sorry,” Castiel mumbled, embarrassed that he let his fear for Dean make his tongue run away from his brain.

“Dr. Harvelle is the best there is,” John continued. “Mary already has done her research before I came searching for you two Stooges.”

Chastened, Castiel nodded his head and pretended not to notice the assessing gaze from John and the smug smirk from Sam.

“The symptoms of post-concussion syndrome vary, which is what can make it hard to diagnose and to predict,” John continued. “The doc thinks that when Dean pulled you out of the car’s path, he cracked his skull on the cement curb. She said there is some swelling in his brain, but no bleeding and no fluid gathering.”

“That’s good, right?” Sam asked, concerned about his big brother.

“Yes, that’s good,” John confirmed, patting his youngest’s hand in comfort. “What makes this type of injury so difficult is that its symptoms can manifest for a few days, or can remain for more than a year. She said we can expect mood changes, memory gaps, headaches, dizziness, insomnia, and irritability.

“Dean is going to need to be seen regularly by the neurological team to keep track of his progress and to help him adapt, especially to the headaches and dizziness – they want to make sure these don’t become too severe, as that could mean the damage was more significant than they originally believed. However, she said, since Dean is young and in good health other than this, she believes he will make a full recovery.”

Castiel and Sam sat in stunned silence – Dean could have these symptoms for more than a year. All because he and Castiel were horsing around and a douchebag in a fancy car almost ran Castiel over as a result. This meant that Castiel could have to deal with a year of Dean believing that they are boyfriends. How was he going to be able to deal with that?

“Mr. Winchester,” Castiel began, and then stopped. What was he going to say? I can’t do this? Yes, your son is hurt because he saved me, but I can’t be around him because it will break my heart? I can’t have an imitation of what I want most in life knowing that tomorrow it could be gone?

John Winchester’s perceptive chocolate-brown eyes held Castiel’s own tear-filled azure stare.

“My wife believes that you are in love with my boy,” John said, and was rewarded by seeing panic flit across the other’s features. “She also believes that my boy loves you, too.”

“Told you, dumbass,” Sam muttered only to be pinned by a harsh glare from his father. “Sorry, Dad.”

“I know it probably will be hard for you to be around Dean while his memories are so confused,” John said as gently as possible, “but, I have to ask you to try. Dean is going to need you. He is going to depend on you during this time. I think if you would completely distance yourself from him it would be detrimental to his recovery.”

Castiel’s eyes widened in shock. He discreetly moved to pinch himself because surely he was in a hospital bed in a coma – there was no way that gruff, John Winchester just asked him to date his son, could there be?

“But,” Castiel tried.

“I know it’s a little unorthodox,” John continued with a small smile, “but I think it might be good for both of you. And, who knows, if and when Dean does recover his memories maybe he’ll finally get his head out of his own ass and be happy to date you for real.”

Sam grinned at his brother’s now-boyfriend and mouthed “told you.”

“I do have to tell you that even during this time when his memories are not entirely reliable, you do anything to hurt my boy I’ll make sure they never find your body,” Dean’s father said, pushing away from the table and standing so that he practically loomed over the still seated teen. “I hope I make myself clear.”

Castiel nodded his head frantically and scrambled to stand up himself.

“Excellent,” John said, clapping the boy a little too enthusiastically on the shoulder. “Then let’s all go upstairs and bid a fond goodnight to our Dean. He’s been asking for you both – especially you, Castiel.”

Walking on shaky legs behind father and son, Castiel found himself trying to clear his head. He had a pseudo-boyfriend that could possibly regain his memories and dump him, thus destroying their friendship; and, if he did anything to hurt Dean in the meantime, he was going to be disemboweled by a former military man.

No doubts about it, Castiel thought as he stepped into the elevator with the two Winchesters and let his head thunk softly against the wood-paneled wall, this wasn’t a dream and it wasn’t a nightmare….Castiel was in his own private hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note, post-concussion syndrome is a real thing. I thank the Mayo Clinic's excellent web site for some of the information that I gleaned to use for this chapter. It is true that the effects of post-concussion syndrome can last for up to a year and they do include headaches, nausea, dizziness, insomnia, irritability, mood swings, and memory loss. They don't really include memory altering amnesia like I have used here, but that is my own little fictional twist. I'm having a good time with this one. I'm excited to see where the characters want to go. 
> 
> I know we didn't have Dean and Cas together really in this one, but I promise next up is them adapting to their "relationship." Hope you all are enjoying! Thanks for reading <3.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Meg have a chat. Dean collapses and a change may be coming for the Winchesters and Novaks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I meant to publish this yesterday, but I was down with a killer migraine.

**_ Three months later… _ **

Time seemed to move at a new speed – it wasn’t speeding by too fast to appreciate, but it wasn’t going so slowly that it seemed surreal. As the days passed, and Dean’s memories remained unchanged, Castiel slowly started to become more comfortable with the fact that this was his life. There still were days he was convinced this was an elaborate joke; that one day someone was going to show up and yank the carpet from under his feet, or that Dean would just start to laugh and say “really had ya going didn’t I, Cas?” But with each passing day that eventuality seemed more removed from his life and Castiel allowed himself to be lulled into a sense of security.

To be fair, he still was holding himself back, at least in part, but each day became more of a battle he was having with himself. Why shouldn’t he give in? Why shouldn’t he allow himself to be with Dean in the way that Dean seemed to think they were together? He tried to argue with himself, and with his friends who knew the whole situation, but the arguments were becoming less convincing. With each brush of Dean’s long fingers against Castiel’s own, with each lingering hug or brush of lips, Castiel felt himself giving in.

“What’s wrong Clarence? You and lover boy having a spat?” Meg chuckled to him during their shared lunch period. “I haven’t seen you look this sad since your pet goldfish died.”

“No, Dean and I are fine,” Castiel sighed, pushing his food idly around on the tray, not meeting Meg’s eyes.

“Yeah,” Meg said, somewhat sarcastically, “I can see things are just sunshine and rainbows.”

“C’mon Meg,” Castiel snapped, irritated to be having the conversation with his supposed friend yet again.

“No you come on, Castiel,” Meg countered, her own frustration bubbling to the surface. “I’ve had just about enough of this. That boy is ass over head in love with you, has been even before the accident, you just didn’t want to see it because you were so caught up in your own damn martyr complex.”

“Meg-” Castiel tried to interject.

“Stuff it,” she snapped. “I’m tired of the pity party. I understand that you feel that you are taking advantage of your ‘poor boy,’ but you don’t know and the doctors can’t tell you differently, this could be life from now on. And what if? What if his memories come back in a year or more and he doesn’t want to be together with you? He wants to be together with you now.”

“But it isn’t him,” Castiel reasoned.

“But what if it is?” she countered, softening her tone ever so slightly. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you when you aren’t looking. I think this really is him. You’ve said that Sam, his own brother, has said the same. Maybe this is just the chance for the two of you to get the colossal sticks out of your asses and allow you to be happy. Unless you really don’t want to be happy?”

Castiel’s countenance darkened at her words, of course he wanted to be happy and he wanted to be with Dean, it was all he ever wanted, but a part of him felt this was wrong.

“Why not give it a chance?” Meg offered, trying to give her friend a chance at his dream, even though he was worried to seize it for himself. “I’m not saying that either of you should do the naked pretzel – at least not immediately – but, why not give in a little?”

“I don’t know,” Castiel said, feeling his resolve weakening. What Meg was saying made sense.

“Don’t you think you are hurting Dean as well as yourself?” Meg asked, pulling out her ultimate weapon in trying to get her friend to give in to his heart’s desire, and judging by the surprise illuminating the other’s ocean blue eyes, Meg finally found pay dirt.

“What do you mean I’m hurting Dean?” Castiel asked, brow furrowing in consternation.

“Jesus Castiel,” Meg exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air and slamming her back into her chair. “For a smart dude, you are incredibly dumb.”

“I don’t think I am any less intelligent than anyone else of my acquaintance,” Castiel said, not completely understanding the insult.

“You are book smart, Clarence, but your social skills need serious work,” Meg huffed, pausing to take a drink of her soda. “I’ve seen the two of you together, and every time you turn away when he seeks an embrace, or don’t return a kiss, or refuse to hold his hand, there is a flash of pain that crosses his face.”

Grimacing, Castiel looked up into his friend’s face. For once, he did not see any indication of mockery; she was not trying to embarrass him – what she was telling him was the truth, at least as she saw it. Could she be right? Was he really hurting Dean while he was seeking to protect his own heart?

“He needs you, you jackass,” Meg said, but her words lacked any true heat; there was a sense of fond exasperation and affection in her tone. “And, you need him. Maybe tomorrow he will wake up and remember things the way they were before the accident, maybe he won’t. For now, you both need each other, it is not taking advantage of him you have been respectful of him to this point. Perhaps if you return his affection the both of you will be able to find your happily ever after and I won’t have to see the forlorn looks and longing gazes the two of you lob at each other. I swear to Christ you both are worse than those cheesy ass romance novels.”

Castiel barked out a surprised laugh at his friend’s assessment. And he decided that she was right. He was going to seek out his happiness. He was going to be with Dean for however long he was able to. Rising from the lunch table, Castiel leaned down to press a kiss to a very surprised Meg’s cheek.

“You’re an angel, Meg,” Castiel said, eyes sparkling with mirth.

“Shhhh,” Meg hissed, looking around. “You’re gonna ruin my reputation of being a badass if you say that kinda shit out loud where people can hear you.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Castiel said, straightening and speaking in a stage whisper. “You are a demon, Meg Masters and I don’t know why I ever put up with you.”

Meg’s pleased laugh pealed and broke through some of the noise in the cafeteria, causing some to look their way.

“Go,” she said, trying to shoo her friend out of her way. “Go and find your unicorn.”

Castiel gathered up his things when he heard a commotion at the opposite end of the cafeteria. He looked up to see Sam Winchester tearing through the crowd, hair flying and eyes wild in panic.

“Castiel, Castiel,” Sam cried, breath coming in short, sharp pants. “You’ve gotta come quick.”

“What is it?” Castiel asked, grasping the younger boy by the shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Dean,” Sam gasped, trying to compose himself. “He was playing a pickup game of soccer with some friends, and all of a sudden it was like his legs just went out from under him.”

Castiel’s eyes went wide with panic: He needed to be with Dean right then, Meg was right he was going to lose his opportunities by playing into his own uncertainties.

“Take me to him,” Castiel said, not bothering to pick up his book bag. “Right the fuck now.”

The two teens tore out of the cafeteria, pushing their fellow students out of the way unceremoniously in their haste. Nothing mattered except getting to the soccer field.

As they approached the open area, they saw a crowd of boys and a few girls standing in a semi-circle waiting for the school nurse and medical personnel to assess Dean.

“Get outta my way,” Castiel bellowed, moving through people to get to Dean. The green-eyed teen was laying on the ground, the gym teacher – and Winchester family friend – Mr. Singer was kneeling by Dean’s head, keeping the other students from him.

“What’s wrong? How is he? When is the ambulance coming?” Castiel asked rapid fire, not even caring that much to hear the answers.

“Calm down, boy,” Mr. Singer said gruffly, but with a hint of his own fear undercutting the words. “He’s going to be fine. Ambulance should be here in a few minutes.”

Castiel kneeled next to the prone form of his best friend – boyfriend? – and found his fingers tracing gently down his face. In his panic, Castiel was able to forget all his objections to opening his heart. He traced patterns over the multitude of freckles that dotted Dean’s face – freckles that Castiel was fascinated with, and Dean hated.

“Dean? Baby? Can you hear me?” Castiel asked, feeling tears prickling at his eyes. He felt just as helpless now as he did three months ago.

“Ungh,” came the faint groan from the form in front of him.

“Dean!” Sam cried, grasping to his brother’s other hand. “C’mon man, stop scaring the shit outta me and your boyfriend.”

Castiel felt in other circumstances he would blush at hearing Sam refer to him as Dean’s boyfriend, but in this moment, it gave him a sense of peace.

The teens were so caught up in Dean’s regaining consciousness, they didn’t notice the paramedics approaching.

“C-Cas?” Dean mumbled, voice slurred and groggy. “Sa-m-y?”

“Yes, baby, we’re here with you,” Castiel said, letting himself breathe a sigh of relief and not even noticing the term of endearment that slipped in his agitation.

“Wh-at?” Dean asked, glassy moss-green eyes fluttering open and trying to focus on the familiar faces in front of him.

“Shhh,” Castiel soothed, massaging his fingers through Dean’s scalp to provide some comfort. “It’s okay, the ambulance is here. We’re going to get you taken care of.”

The paramedics began their assessment to check Dean’s vitals and move him on to the stretcher for transportation to the hospital.

“One person can come with you,” the female paramedic said.

“You should go, Cas,” Sam deferred, somewhat reluctant to leave his big brother. “You’re his boyfriend after all.”

“Boyfriend?” Dean asked, trying to raise himself into a seated position. “What the hell are you talking about, Sammy? Cas isn’t my boyfriend.”

Those words rang in his ears like the buzzing of a million bees swarming at once. He was having a hard time focusing on what was going on. His worst fears had come true, and right when he opened himself to the possibility of a happily ever after.

“Yes, he is Dean,” Sam insisted, agitated at his brother. “He has been for three months.”

“Three months? What the hell is going on around here?”

“Sam, Dean,” Mr. Singer tried to interject. “I think you both need to take a step back. Let’s get Dean here to the hospital and we can go from there.”

“Okay,” Sam reluctantly agreed, not willing to let his brother off the hook. “I still think Cas should go with Dean.”

“No, that’s okay, Sam,” Castiel demurred, not wanting to upset his friend. “It might be better if you go, as his brother.”

The paramedics had Dean situated on the stretcher and ready to load into the ambulance.

“I don’t care who is coming with us, but if one of you is coming, get in now because we are going,” the female paramedic barked out to the arguing teens.

“C’mon Cas,” Dean said, trying to pick his head up from the awkward position. “I have a feeling there is something going on that I don’t understand and you can probably explain it to me without giving me a worse headache than I already have.”

Nodding numbly, Castiel climbed into the back of the ambulance and situated himself into a seat, out of the way of the paramedics who were still assessing Dean, but close enough to talk to the other boy. It was going to be a long, uncomfortable ride, and the death of his dreams of DeanandCas together. Meg was right…he should have acted sooner, damn his own sense of chivalry. Now, he lost his only chance. He only hoped this journey wouldn’t be the death knell of the best friendship he had ever had, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still hopped up on some serious migraine meds, so I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I feel badly for Cas, he just was ready to surrender his heart and his worst fear came true. However, don't lose heart, I think there are going to be some revelations at the hospital. If nothing else, I think that Sam will kick some sense into Dean. We only have two more chapters to go. Thanks for sticking with me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean arrives at the hospital for evaluation and some important conversations are had and important decisions are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to put this up yesterday, but the killer migraine stopped me. Hope you enjoy!

The ambulance ride from the school to the hospital was awkward, to say the least. Castiel was hesitant to explain things in too much detail to Dean for fear of embarrassing his friend in front of the paramedics; yet, Castiel wanted to be honest and answer his friend’s questions.

Thankfully for the young Novak, the ride was brief and once they arrived at the hospital, Castiel was asked to remain outside while Dean was examined by the doctors.

“I’ll just wait here, then,” Castiel mumbled, as Dean was hurried in to an examination bay.

“See ya soon, Cas,” Dean said, rather stiltedly as he half-heartedly waved to his friend.

As Castiel settled to wait for news of Dean’s condition, he was startled to feel a warm hand on his shoulder.

“Hello, Castiel,” Mary Winchester said, her green eyes, so similar to her eldest son’s were warm, but shone with a hint of pity toward the young man.

“Mrs. Winchester,” Castiel said, standing to greet the woman who was practically his second mother. “When did you get here? How did you know?”

Patting her son’s friend on the shoulder and urging him to sit back down, Mary responded, “Sam called me after the ambulance left. I happened to be off work today running some errands, so I wasn’t far away. Any word on what happened?”

“We haven’t been here long,” Castiel replied, settling back in to the uncomfortable hard plastic chair that he swore could double as a torture device. “The good news is that Dean seems to have recovered his memories from before.”

“Hmmm,” was all Mary said noncommittally, watching the teen in front of her closely.

“It will be nice to have Dean back, don’t you think?” Castiel said with obvious false enthusiasm as his heart broke a little.

“Castiel,” Mary said, and then stopped. She didn’t want to pry, or to push the other teen to share something he wasn’t comfortable with, but she wanted him to know how she felt.

Before she had a chance to continue, Dr. Harvelle swept out of the examination room and spied the pair.

“Mrs. Winchester,” she said, brusquely, but politely. “I’m glad you are here. We are going to need your signature for permission to treat Dean and to take him for a few tests.”

“Of course,” Mary agreed readily, willing to do whatever for her son. “Can you tell us a little about how Dean is? I think we are both a little worried.”

Dr. Harvelle smiled at the two, glad to have some good news to share.

“I think Dean is going to make a full recovery,” the doctor answered, pleased with the prognosis. “We are going to perform some tests to make sure, but from speaking with Dean right now, it sounds as though his memories are clear from before the accident. You’ll need to fill him in on some of the things that have happened in the past few months, but I think even some of that will come back to him in time. He’s been very lucky.”

Castiel was torn. He was happy his friend was back, but he wondered what this would mean for him and for their relationship. He had tried so hard to steel his heart against this scenario of losing Dean’s affection and just when he decided to seize the opportunity, for it to be yanked away from him – it was like giving a starving man a taste of an unlimited buffet, only to push him out the door and lock it so he could never enter again to sate his hunger.

“Mrs. Winchester,” Castiel said, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth as he considered his words. “Maybe I should go home now? It might be overwhelming for Dean to have so many people around and I wouldn’t want to take him away from your family. I’ll just come back tomorrow.”

Mary was having none of this. She wasn’t sure if her son was going to remember his “relationship” with Castiel, but she wasn’t going to have either boy potentially jeopardizing their friendship because Dean had his memories back.

“Just a moment, Castiel,” Mary said, and then turned back to the doctor. “Doctor, would I be able to speak with my son for a moment before you take him for the tests?”

“Absolutely,” the neurosurgeon replied. “I have to make sure there is a MRI room available, so he might have to wait a while. I’m sure he would appreciate a familiar face instead of the doctors and nurses.”

“Wonderful,” Mary responded with a sunny smile. Turning back to Castiel she asked, “Would you mind waiting here until I get back? I am sure that John and Sam are on their way, and I would greatly appreciate if you could wait with them until I get back.”

Being raised to be a polite, respectful young man, Castiel couldn’t deny his friend’s mother’s request. He nodded his agreement and sank back down into the lumpy, ill-shapen chair to wait.

Mary turned on her heel and walked with Dr. Harvelle back into the triage area.

“He’s right in here, Mrs. Winchester,” the doctor said, pulling back the curtain to allow Mary to enter.

“Thank you,” the mother replied as she saw her son for the first time.

Dean had been stripped of the ratty T-shirt he wore to school that morning, and was wearing a hospital gown. Mary wished she had her cell phone handy, she wasn’t above taking a picture of her son in this moment to use this as blackmail material for years to come. Pushing more lighthearted notions from her head, Mary entered the bedside area and leaned down to give her son a kiss on the forehead.

“Hi Mom,” the teenager replied, somewhat bashfully.

“Dean Michael Winchester,” she said, mock sternly, “what have you done to yourself now?”

“Nothing, ma’am, I swear,” Dean said, eyes wide and proclaiming his innocence. “I was just fooling around with the guys and then I don’t remember what happened until Cas was there with me.”

At the last words, Mary could see the tell-tale blush spreading across her son’s freckled face, making each mark that much more obvious.

“I see,” Mary said, “and did you tell your _boyfriend_ how grateful you are that he stayed with you all this time?”

“Well, you see, we really didn’t have a chance….wait, he’s not my boyfriend,” Dean sputtered, trying to find the correct words.

“Dean, Dean, Dean,” Mary said, clucking her tongue in disapproval. “I am surprised at you. It’s bad enough that you’ve tried to hide your feelings for that poor boy for all this time.”

“What? But, I…” Dean tried to interrupt.

“Nope, zip it, mister,” Mary commanded, effectively stopping her son’s protests. “I know you have been in love with that boy for at least three years now. I also know that while your subconscious decided to take a little nap these past few months, it decided to make the best decision possible and allow you to be with that boy, don’t mess this up.”

“But, Dad…and I don’t know if Cas,” Dean searched for explanations, the expression on his face warring between hopeful and desolate. Mary felt her heart break a little for her son; her son who was such a good boy, but always put himself last in favor of others.

“Hush now,” Mary said, perching herself on the edge of the hospital bed and reaching to grasp her son’s hands between her own. “First of all, your Dad wants you to be happy, just like I do. For the past three months, you have been acting as though you and Castiel were boyfriends, and your father has adapted to that just fine. I see no reason to believe anything will change.

“And, as to the other, if you weren’t recovering from a head injury I would slap you upside the head for being so oblivious.”

Dean half-heartedly glared at his mother for that; a look she gave right back to him, causing him to avert his eyes in defeat.

“That boy loves you, Dean,” Mary said earnestly. “I’ve seen the two of you be secretly in love with each other for years, it’s time for you to give it a chance.”

“What if we mess everything up, Mom?” Dean asked, voice raw as he practically whispered his greatest fear to his mother. “What if I admit this and we crash and burn and I lose the best friend I ever had?”

Mary placed her thumb gently under Dean’s chin and forced him to meet her gaze.

“What if it is the best thing you ever did?” Mary countered. “What if you have found the love of your life? Don’t you deserve the chance to be happy? Doesn’t Cas?”

Mother and son fell silent for several moments as Dean thought about all his mother told him. Coming to a decision he broke the moment by asking for her to get Castiel for him.

Mary stood up and pressed another soft kiss to her son’s honey-brown hair, and left the room to retrieve the other boy.

John and Sam had yet to appear when Mary came out of the triage area. Castiel stood again to greet Dean’s mother.

“Dean would like to see you now,” she said warmly. “Just go back through that door, he is behind the third curtain on the right.”

If circumstances were different, Castiel would have made a joke about Dean being the prize on a game show, but that sounded too close to his actual feelings, plus he knew that Dean probably was going to try to let him down easily – perhaps suggest they take a small break from their friendship, too.

“Go on now,” Mary prodded, pushing the young Novak towards the doors. “I’ll wait here for the other men of my family. You go look after our Dean.”

Nodding absently, Castiel stumbled on slightly numb legs back to where Mary indicated. He found the area she indicated rather quickly, but he found himself paralyzed by indecision and fear. He couldn’t seem to bring himself to open the curtain. Several long moments passed as he fretted about what he should do: Should he just leave, or like a Band-Aid open the curtain quickly and rip off the covering.

“Cas, you stand out there and think any harder, you are going to cause a fire,” Dean called out in a weak joke. He had watched as his friend’s beat-up blue Converse sneakers stood under the curtain in indecision to the point where Dean couldn’t take it anymore.

Pulling open the curtain, Castiel stepped through and stood at the foot of his friend’s bed. “Hello, Dean.”

Smiling brightly at the darker haired teen, Dean returned, “Heya Cas.”

The two remained in somewhat awkward silence, neither sure what to say, neither sure what the other was thinking.

“So, Cas…” Dean began at the same time Castiel said, “Dean I’m sorry.”

Their overlapping words caused them both to stop and then break into hysterical laughter.

“Oh my God,” Dean wheezed after several minutes, trying to get himself back together, tears of laughter leaking from his eyes. “We sound like a couple of teenage girls.”

“Speak for yourself, Dean,” Castiel retorted, laughing just as hard, holding on to the edge of the bed to keep from toppling over.

“Look at us,” Dean said, wiping the errant tears from his cheeks. “What a sight we are. No wonder we’re so good together.”

“Yes, you are a good friend Dean Winchester,” Castiel replied, walking closer to his friend’s side now that the awkward tension had been dispelled.

As Castiel neared, Dean reached out lightning quick and grabbed the other boy’s closest hand, and watched as Castiel’s fathomlessly blue eyes widened in surprise.

“We are good friends,” Dean confirmed, squeezing the captured appendage lightly, feeling suddenly shy and exposed “but, I think we are good as more than that, too. If you wanna be.”

For a moment Dean thought he messed everything up; he thought his mother had gotten it all wrong that Castiel didn’t feel the same for him as he did toward the other teen. Then suddenly, Castiel smiled – a blindingly brilliant smile that lit up his whole face brighter than the sun. Without answering, Castiel leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his friend’s – no, boyfriend’s lips – their first real kiss, which Dean returned enthusiastically.

“I definitely want to,” Castiel replied with another light buss to chapped lips.

“Awesome,” Dean replied happily, only breaking away from the other boy when the next round of nurses came to take him for his tests.

“Wait for me?” Dean asked, squeezing Castiel’s hand one final time.

Castiel nodded happily and went to sit back in the waiting room with a trio of smug looking Winchesters. Not even the chair from Hell could dampen his mood as he waited for his boyfriend to come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Our boys are together. Just a little fluffy epilogue to come and we are done with this one. Hope you all are enjoying. Love you all <3!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of our journey - Castiel reflects on their time since Dean got out of the hospital and the boys prepare for their "first" date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry this took me so long to get up. My doctor put me on new migraine meds and not only are they not helping my migraines, but they are knocking me out. Pretty much as soon as my daughter goes to bed, I've been going to bed. So that's the reason why this took so long. Just a nice little bit of fluff to end our tale.

**_ One Week Later… _ **

Castiel stood in his bedroom, frowning at his reflection in his full-length mirror. He just couldn’t get his hair to look quite right. And, was it overkill for a first date to wear a suit? He didn’t even know where Dean was taking him. Maybe Dean was going to back out. Maybe this week had made him reconsider everything.

As these thoughts swirled and eddied in his brain, Castiel was on his way to a panic attack, when the chirp of his phone brought him back a little.

_Message from Dean: On my way…be ready in 15. Can’t wait :-)._

The dark haired teen let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. Not all of his tension had been relieved, but to know that Dean still was coming and seemed excited about their first “official” date was a balm to his frazzled nerves. So much of the past week had been in flux.

After Dean’s original memories returned and he and Castiel decided to try their relationship again, the two boys hadn’t been able to spend much time together. Dean had to stay that night in the hospital for observation, just to make sure that everything was healing correctly; and, Castiel had been dragged forcibly from the hospital by his mother, who insisted he would be of no use to his boyfriend if he was occupying the hospital bed adjacent to him.

Even after the young Winchester was released, he and Castiel didn’t have many opportunities to see one another, not even at school. It seemed as though Dean’s memory did a complete one-eighty when it came back: He lost the last three months, all the time he and Castiel spent together, completely obliterated; but that wasn’t all, he couldn’t remember anything from that time. To Dean, it still was the day after the accident. The green-eyed teen became easily frustrated because he tried so hard to remember what happened during that time.

Because all Dean’s memories were gone that included everything they covered in school during that time, hence the reason the boys really weren’t seeing each other much. The school’s guidance counselor arranged for Dean to receive private tutoring sessions during his study hall and lunch to help him get caught up while he still attended as many classes as possible to not fall further behind and fail the year.

Despite the forced separation, Dean had made a strong effort to keep in touch with Castiel, something the blue-eyed boy had been afraid of. The night after Dean’s hospital confession, Castiel couldn’t sleep. His thoughts were plagued with images of Dean laughing at him, taunting him, punching him. The few times Castiel was able to doze, it was a fitful sleep, one that usually caused him to wake up gasping as he wondered whether Dean actually meant what he said, or if he was just trying to spare Castiel’s feelings. Castiel really needn’t have worried.

The first day Dean returned to school, Castiel arrived at his locker to find a note taped to the inside. Just a simple note from Dean saying hello. And of course once Dean was home from the hospital he started texting Castiel like a fiend, allaying some of the other teen’s worries.

It was ironic to Castiel that while Dean had lost so many of his memories, on two separate occasions, he seemed to have found more of himself. The Dean who woke up that second time was much more open with himself and others. The pre-accident Dean was warm and affectionate, but always seemed as though he was guarding himself, too afraid to give fully of himself lest that be used to hurt him later. The Dean immediate after the accident had no walls, he gave and gave of himself and craved gentle touches and small signs of affections. The post-accident Dean was more a combination of the two: Yes, he still was guarded in some ways, but Castiel could see he was trying to work past that, and so many of his fortified walls had come down.

All of this led to the night in question, and why Castiel was on the verge of freaking out again. Dean had text him the day before and asked if he wanted to go on a date, a real first date. Before his brain fully had a chance to process the request, his fingers were deftly typing a resounding “yes” to the message, which is how Castiel came to be standing in the middle of his room, wearing the only suit that he owned, it was suit his mother bought him for his great-aunt Glenda’s funeral last year, wondering if he had overdone it.

Castiel was just getting ready to change his clothes and throw on a Henley and some jeans when he heard his mother call.

“Castiel!? You’d better get down here. It doesn’t look right for you to be late for your own first date.”

Mentally face palming at his mother’s blunt speaking, the younger Novak thudded down the stairs and made a beeline for the door, hearing the distinctive roar of Dean’s father’s 1967 Chevy Impala come to a halt in front of his house.

“That’s Dean,” Castiel called to his mother, who was coming out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “I’ll be home later tonight, Mom. Love you.”

“You best be back here by eleven, young man,” Mrs. Novak cautioned. “I don’t want you boys out too late for your first date.”

“M-o-m,” Castiel practically whined, sounding more like a five-year old than the teenager he was. “This is hardly our first date. Dean and I have known each other forever, and technically we sort of kind of dated while his memories were on the fritz, so this is really more like our fiftieth date.”

Mrs. Novak walked over to her only son and placed her hands on his shoulders while looking him seriously in the eye and said, “The best things take time, Cassie darling. You two have to build a solid foundation to have a good future. You have a good start since you were friends first, but take your time. Both of you need to know each other as part of a couple.”

Castiel blinked, surprised to hear the words his mother counseled him with. It made sense. Damn it, he hated when she made sense.

“I’ll be home by eleven, ma’am,” Castiel said, ducking his head like a chastened little boy.

His mother patted him affectionately on the cheek and followed the action with a quick kiss. “There’s a good boy, now go on and get. You boys have fun.”

Nodding his agreement, Castiel walked to his front door and opened it just as Dean was preparing to knock. Castiel felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of his best friend. Dean hadn’t dressed up as much as Castiel had, but his outfit wasn’t casual. Dean was wearing a snugly fit black button down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his mid-forearm. He paired the shirt with a pair of fitted slate gray dress slacks that Castiel thought should be illegal with how they clung to his boyfriend’s long legs and slim waist.

The best part of the ensemble was Dean himself. When Castiel looked into those familiar moss-green eyes, he saw for the first time in months _his_ Dean: Those eyes that were a true reflection of the other man’s soul that shone with mischief and warmth and maybe even hints of love. The expression that Castiel saw staring at him in his doorway made everything else fall away. He didn’t care what they were going to do, or where they were going to do it, they were going to be together, and that was what really mattered.

“Heya handsome,” Dean said, voice lower than usual, but still laced with a smile. “You ready to go?”

“Absolutely,” Castiel replied, all his previous hesitation completely evaporated. He grabbed his beat up trench coat, as he felt a slight chill in the air.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Dean said, pulling back slightly and presenting the shorter teen with a gift. “These are for you.”

“Wh-?” Castiel started to ask.

For a moment, he thought that Dean brought him a bouquet of flowers, something that Castiel would have teased the other about mercilessly. However, when he looked closer, it was a gift that made fresh tears spring to his eyes; it was a gift that showed how well Dean knew him and how much he really cared. Loosely rolled to mimic stalks of flowers, were twelve new comic books, Dean and Castiel’s favorites, tied with a blue ribbon.

Overcome with love and affection, Castiel practically bowled Dean to the ground as he attack hugged him.

“I take it you like them?” Dean asked, huffing a gentle laugh, but returning Castiel’s hug just as fiercely.

“Like them?” Castiel replied. “Dean, I love them. But, you didn’t have to get me anything. I feel badly that I have nothing for you.”

A faint blush spread across Dean’s face at Castiel’s words, highlighting his cinnamon brown freckles, even in the fading late of dusk.

“I know I didn’t _have_ to get you anything, Cas,” Dean replied, looking earnestly at his boyfriend. “I wanted to get you something. I wanted to make this night special, a night for us both to remember.”

Swallowing convulsively against the burn of tears, Castiel gave a watery grin and said, “Dean, I think I will always remember this, and us just this way.”

Leaning over, Dean gave Castiel a chaste kiss on the lips, a promise of things to come, and then pulled away with a wicked grin.

“C’mon babe,” he said, linking his fingers with Castiel’s own. “Let’s make some new memories together. Ones we’ll never forget.”

The pair got in to the car and drove into the fading sunset…the perfect start to a lifetime of love and happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the end. I do hope you enjoyed. I had a blast writing this, especially as it is a lot lighter than what I usually write. Thanks so much for reading along it means the world to me. Cheers!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! I know I have other things that I really need to be writing, but I've kinda hit a major bout of writer's block with one story and I have had enough angst in my real life that I didn't feel like causing quite the level of angst that I need to cause in another story - so when this idea came to me, I decided to go for it. I did not expect it to turn out this long. As with most things I write, this decided to take on a life of its own. Although there will be some angst in this, I do believe it is one of the fluffiest pieces I have ever written.
> 
> Let me know what you think. Love to you all <3.


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